District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office has secured a special grand jury indictment that charges 4 New Orleans teenagers with racketeering and violating the Louisiana Racketeering Act
The teens, according to a special grand jury, showed a progression that began with car burglaries and ended with murder.
20-year-old Joshua Augillard, 18-year-old Reginald Blanton, 19-year-old Corey Harris, and 16-year-old Ladonte Richardson have been indicted with conspiring on and operation a deadly criminal enterprise.
The teens allegedly escalated their criminal activities which started from vehicle burglaries and auto thefts to the murder and attempted murders of rivals. The trail of violence according to the DA's office started in the summer of 2015.
Violation of the Louisiana Racketeering Act alone carries a penalty of up to 50 years in state prison upon conviction. The group was indicted on murder and conspiracy charges a week ago, but it wasn't until this week that the special grand jury took up the racketeering charge and returned a true bill on that count.
The new indictment details 61 overt acts committed in furtherance of the alleged criminal enterprise, including numerous vehicle burglaries, auto thefts, armed robberies and three separate shooting incidents. The shootings resulted in four counts of attempted second-degree murder, and one count of second-degree murder. All but Richardson are charged with the second-degree murder of Tyneisha Muse, who was fatally shot in the 3500 block of North Prieur Street in the St. Claude neighborhood on March 29, 2019. If convicted of murdering Muse, mandatory lifetime prison sentences would await Augillard, Blanton and Harris.
"The progression of criminal activity detailed in this new indictment shows how insufficient interventions for juvenile offenders can cost lives within a few years," Cannizzaro said. "If left unchecked, some of those involved in so-called 'non-violent' offenses such as vehicle burglaries can feel emboldened, and escalate quickly into more serious crimes such as shootings and murder. It is unfortunate that so many people had to be victimized by these young offenders before they face meaningful consequences."
For the news release from the Orleans Parish DA's office click here